Customer Rating

Two splendid Baroque operas,
one famous (Dido), the other a pleasant surprise (Pan &
Syrinx).

Performed on period
instruments and conducted with verve and dramatic insight by
baroque specialist Jed Wentz. The name John Ernest Galliard may be
unfamiliar to many. He was German born, but took British
citizenship, and settled in London in 1706. He was a chamber
musician to Prince George of Denmark, and was also organist at
Somerset House, and an oboist in the opera orchestra under
Handel.He wrote many operas and other stage works, and Pan and
Syrinx was premiered in Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre in 1718.
Pan and Syrinx provides the perfect foil to Purcell’s dark
masterpiece Dido and Aeneas.

Both works portray loves
destructive powers, though in different ways. Galliard’s
treatment is light and comic, Purcell’s tragic and
destructive. These are period practice performances, and for Dido,
Jed Wentz has used several dances and one chorus by Purcell to fill
in gaps in the score as the libretto mentions musical scenes that
have been lost.

Recording made by WDR in
2004

Fascinating coupling of one
of the great masterpieces of English music with a rare work by a
fellow German contemporary of Handel who also made London his
home.

CD 1

Henry Purcell
(1659–1695) Dido and Aeneas

1
Overture
(Orchestra) 2’43

Act the First

Scene: The Palace

2
Shake the cloud
from off your brow (Belinda/Chorus) 1’15

3
Ah! Belinda, I am
press’d with torment (Dido) 2’51

4
Grief increases by
concealing 0’58

(Belinda/Dido/Second
Woman/Chorus)

5
Whence could so
much virtue spring? 1’58

(Dido/Belinda/Second
Woman)

6
Fear no danger to
ensue (Belinda/Second Woman/Chorus) 1’36

7
The Baske Dance
(Orchestra) 0’36

8
See, your royal
guest appears (Belinda/Aeneas/Dido/Chorus) 1’13

9
If not for mine,
for Empire’s sake (Aeneas/Belinda/Chorus)
2’48

10
The Triumphing Dance
(Orchestra) 1’17

Act the Second

Scene One: The
Cave

11
Wayward sisters, you
that fright 2’09

(Sorceress/First
Witch/Chorus)

12
The Queen of Carthage,
whom we hate 1’38

(Sorceress/Chorus/First and
Second Witch)

13
But ere we this perform
(First and Second Witch/Chorus) 1’40

14
Echo Dance of Furies
(Orchestra) 1’09

Scene Two: The
Grove

15
Ritornelle (Orchestra)
0’51

16
Thanks to these lonesome
vales (Belinda/Chorus) 3’07

17
Oft she visits this lone
mountain (Second Woman) 1’52

18
Behold! upon my bending
spear (Aeneas/Dido/Chorus) 1’22

19
Stay, Prince, and hear
great Jove’s command! (Spirit/Aeneas) 2’15

20
Then since our charms
have sped (Sorceress/Chorus) 1’08

21
The Groves’ Dance
(Orchestra) 0’31

Act the Third

Scene One: The
Ships

22
Come away, fellow
sailors (Sailor/Chorus) 1’38

23
The Sailors’ Dance
(Orchestra) 0’51

24
See the flags and
streamers curling 0’54

(Sorceress/First and Second
Witch)

25
Our next motion
(Sorceress/Chorus) 1’29

26
A Dance (Orchestra)
1’41

Scene Two

27
Your counsel all is
urg’d in vain (Dido/Belinda/Aeneas/Chorus)
4’15